I make the effort to regularly write to my respective legislatures of House and Senate here in Michigan, as a fairly simple way to flex my responsibilities of citizenship in between election cycles.

I maintain a gracious tone as a general rule, as my hope is to actually achieve some small measure of notice or influence.

Today, however, I found myself quite fed up with the consistently lame copping-out displayed by my Republican House member, Mike Bishop.   So I sent this admittedly rather sassy email:

Mr. Bishop,

In my email inbox, I just received a “response” from you about an issue of my concern that is the EXACT SAME form letter I’ve already read almost 10 times, now. All of my communications have concerned different issues that effect the health, security, and happiness of my community and family.

I thought you ought know that on this particular occasion, I also happened to receive emails from Democratic Senators Stabenow and Peters that both DIRECTLY SPECIFY and address the issue I actually made contact about.

I will absolutely be voting for your Democratic opponent, in hopes that she will exhibit even the barest minimum of at least appearing to take constituent concerns seriously enough to craft a response that goes beyond empty platitudes.

Lastly, whoever it is that is in charge of emailing out your rote, standardized non-message to concerned citizens needs to be instructed to pay closer attention to the title given : every time I am addressed as “Ms. Biber,” despite filling in “Dr.” when presented with the prompt. Perhaps the clearly female “Nichole” makes it somehow difficult to read Dr., and assume the Ms.?

I will no longer be participating in the charade of “contacting” your office with my concerns as a constituent. I will, however, be going to my local ballot box on November 6th to cheerfully vote for your opponent.

Sincerely,

Dr. Nichole Biber